


Memories, New & Old

by Navi01



Category: Fire Emblem Three Houses, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26254495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navi01/pseuds/Navi01
Summary: F!Byleth and Claude are going to have a baby, but it's arriving two and a half weeks early, and Claude is in Almyra. He now must get back as fast as he can, while remembering key moments in his and Byleth's past.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Kudos: 29





	Memories, New & Old

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! Thank you for clicking on my fic. This is the first thing I've ever put out there, so sorry if its bad! I'll keep working to get better. Any who, thanks again, and I hope you like it!! (Or at least don't hate it :)

The messenger came in the middle of a council meeting. At the head of the table sat Claude, and along the sides were Nader, Judith, and a handful of Fodlan and Almaryan nobels, all trying to broker peace between lands.   
He burst into the room. “My king,” he gasped, clearly out of breath. “Your wife- she- she had a contraction. Three days ago.”  
Claude stood up with a start, pushing his chair back with his legs. “Already?” he asked the exasperated messenger.   
“Yes, my king.”  
“But she wasn't due for a week and a half...” Claude mumbled, trying to piece together this new information. He had made sure to schedule a trip for when the baby was expected. “Never mind. Thank you. I'm sorry, everyone” he said, now addressing the table. “But I'm afraid I will have to cut this meeting short. Judith, Nader, if you could walk with me”. The two nodded and followed him out, leaving the room of nobles in a confused silence. 

______________________________________________________________________________

The combined forces of Those Who Slither In The Dark and the remaining Empire army proved to be no match for the Almaryan reinforcements and their king. On the night of the victory, a grand feast was held in honor of Claude and his people. This was the first time he and Byleth had been reunited since Claude's return home, but their hearts had only grown fonder in each other's absence. Knowing that they could not bear to meet so infrequently, the two promised to make time for each other once every two moons, and to keep politics and responsibility at bay on these occasions. Though they stayed true to the second aspect of the pact, once every two moons quickly shrank to every moon, and eventually twice a moon.   
______________________________________________________________________________

“Judith, can you gather some supplies? Food, vulnaries… well, really just food and vulnaries.” Claude said as they followed his brisk walk.   
“Sure thing. And please give my congratulations to your wife.” the dark haired woman said before rushing away.  
“Nader, could you prepare my wyvern?” he asked.   
“Yep. And…” he said in a quieter voice, ”what she said. ...About congratulations and all that.” the large man nodding before running off.   
Claude paused to smile as his two mentors hurried about, keen to help him on such short notice. He then made a detour to his chambers, only to retrieve Failnaught and a scrap of gold silk. He then darted to the stables, where his goat waited for him, fully dressed. As he climbed on, he saw saddle bags brimming with provisions and bottles of blue liquid. Thankful, he looked to the sky, knowing that he would return to his homeland a different man.   
Claude kicked the sides of his wyvern, pushing it into flight, and took off in the direction of Garreg Mach. 

______________________________________________________________________________

It had nearly been a year since Nemesis had been defeated. Claude was busier than usual, and the only thing keeping him afloat was the visit he and Byleth had scheduled for the coming weekend. They often met in a village near Fódlans throat, and from there would move to a secluded cabin in the woods. After a tiring day of kingly matters, Claude had managed to sneak away to his quarters for some rest. He pulled the old wooden door open with a creek. To his surprise, inside was his partner, who was reading an old leather book. Upon his entry, Byleth jumped up, flipping the pages in the book rapidly.   
“Umm… Ah, okay.” clearing her throat and turning pages, Byleth spoke in broken Almaryan. “Hello, Claude”. She turned to a dog-eared page. “I could wait… could not wait longer, so I decided to… surprise you”.  
Claude walked up to her, beaming with pride, and pulled her close. “You should have told me” he said into the crook of her neck. “I would have planned something special for your first time here”.  
She pulled him away, looking into his dark green eyes, and now speaking in english. “But I am with you, and that is special enough for me”.  
______________________________________________________________________________

The trip took a total of three days, which consisted of rigorous riding and minimal sleep. Thoughts of tiny hands and large eyes kept Claude going, and he knew he had to be there as soon as possible.   
When he finally arrived, Marianne and Hilda were waiting. The latter bounced excitedly on her toes, her long pink hair flying in the wind, while the former stood calmly, hand shyley waving at the king. When he landed, Claude was practically pulled off his wyvern into an embrace with the girls.  
“Oh, Claude! You're finally here!” Hilds squealed into his chest.   
“Easy, Hilda, easy!” he said through his laughter.   
“Hi, Claude,” Marrianne said as she approached him. She had a small smile, something that still took him by surprise when he saw her. Claude got off his mount and greeted her with a hug.   
“It's so great to see you both” he beamed at his friends. A year after the war had ended, the pair had gotten married. The entire Golden Deer house had been invited, and it was one of the best nights Claude could remember.   
Claudes tone then turned more serious as he looked Marianne in the eye. He loved Hilda, but found Marianne calmer in situations like this. “Are they okay? Did I miss it?” nerves crept into his voice at the last question.  
Her blue eyes closed, and she turned away from him. “Oh, umm…” she looked to her wife for help.  
“She kept trying to hold it off, but this morning… all we know is that this morning she was in labor, and now she won't let anyone see her except you.” she said slowly. “So… come on!” she added quickly before grabbing his and Marianne’s hands and running off in the direction of Byleth’s quarters. 

______________________________________________________________________________

Claude's hand rested on the prominent bump on Byleth’s stomach. She was roughly six months along, and was still actively tending to her duties. The two were lounging in Byleth’s room, discussing their shared future.   
Claude ran his fingers through his hair. “One things for sure: the kid's name has got to mean something. So many people have gone through and lost so much for the world we created. It really feels like the least we can do”.  
“Yeah…” Byleth nodded absently, her mind clearly on another matter.   
“Umm… By?” Claude snapped his fingers in front of her face, noticing her distraction.  
“Yes! Sorry. Yes. important names. Meaningful names.” she said, pulling back into reality. “So… I've been thinking” she started.  
“I can tell.”  
Byleth rolled her eyes at Claude's attempt at humor. “I just- I'm worried about the baby. I don't want him or her to ever feel alone, and with you in Almyra and me here…”  
“I get it.” he said, his voice turning serious once again. “But we can't exactly give up our titles, especially with what we’re trying to do.”  
“That's true, but I was thinking… maybe we could bring someone into the family? As an aunt or uncle or something. Just… someone else for them to trust.”  
Claude was quiet for a moment, gears turning in his head. “So do you have anyone in mind?”  
“Well… I thought a good first choice would be Hilda and Marianne”.  
______________________________________________________________________________

After twisting and turning through the familiar scenery, they reached a closed door. Hilda was beaming, ecstatic for Claude to meet his child. Marianne held her wife's hand, trying to calm her down. This wasn't their moment. Claude reached for the handle and pulled the dark wooden door open, not quite knowing what to expect.   
Inside, he found Byleth in the bed, her green hair up in an unkept bun, tending to a bundle of blankets in her arms. In the room contained a desk along the right, a bookshelf full of tactics and maps along the left, and the bed in the middle. She looked up to find her husband in the doorway, he himself a bit of a mess. He stifled a gasp as he rushed over to greet his new child. Byleth bought the newborn up to her partner. Claude noticed his eyes reflected in the baby boy’s, and felt tears come to his own. He pulled out the small, silk golden blanket he made for the baby the moment he knew he was coming. On it was an intricate and elaborate design of the Golden Deer, the very thing that had bought the child’s parents together. He picked up the boy and wrapped him in the cloth, before kissing him on the forehead for the first time.   
“His name is Khalid” Byleth whispered.   
Claude nodded, and as a single tear rolled down his cheek, he whispered back: “and he is going to change the world”.

______________________________________________________________________________

The Almaryan king reevaluated his actions for the hundredth time as Byleth walked him to the stables. She was due in three weeks, but he planned on being back in two, just to be safe.   
“And you’ll send word at the first contraction?”  
Byleth rolled her eyes at being asked this question for the tenth time today. “Yes, Claude. I want you there just as much as you do”.  
At this point they were at the stable, his wyvern dressed and prepared for flight. “I'm sorry, By. it's just- because of who their mom is, this kid is bound to do big things, and-”.  
Byleth kissed him on the cheek. “And because of who their dad is, they are gonna have tons of friends along the way”.  
Claude smiled at the sappy turn this conversation had taken. “Exactly. And I, for one, don't want to miss a moment of all that greatness. So…”  
The former mercenary sighed and recited the sentiment. “At the slightest contraction, I'll send a messenger. Now, you have to go form alliances and whatnot. If this kid ever has to take crap because of their heritage, I will bring the United Kingdom of Fódlan down on the asshole that did it”.  
“Will do,” Claude said before kissing Byleth and walking away to his wyvern. “And you better not leave Almyra out of that war” he yelled over his shoulder as he mounted the beast. People turned their heads at the words “Almyra” and “War”, but the couple couldn't care less.   
She gave him a mock salute as he took off, knowing that the next time they met, they would be a family.


End file.
